1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic sensor module used in, for example, an electronic compass.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An electronic compass including a magnetic sensor that detects geomagnetism detects the geomagnetism by, for example, an X-axis magnetic sensor, a Y-axis magnetic sensor, and a Z-axis magnetic sensor. In such an electronic compass, an IC and a magnetic sensor are mounted on a substrate, and the IC and the magnetic sensor are electrically connected to each other. The magnetic sensor is ordinarily designed so as to have a sensitivity axis in only one direction, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Therefore, in order to mount three magnetic sensors on the same substrate, it is necessary to tilt one magnetic sensor or two magnetic sensors by 90 degrees and to set its sensitivity axis or their sensitivity axes orthogonally to the other magnetic sensor or magnetic sensors.
If a magnetic sensor is tilted by 90 degrees in this way, as shown in FIG. 4A, electrode pads 32 that are ordinarily formed at the bottom surface of a magnetic sensor 31 so as to be mounted to a surface of a substrate are positioned at a side surface thereof. In this case, a corner bump bonding method that electrically connects the electrode pads, which are positioned at the side surface of the component, and wires, which are formed on the surface of the substrate, to each other is used (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-155922).
In manufacturing the magnetic sensor 31, after forming many elements on a wafer, the elements are divided into separate elements by dicing. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4B, it is necessary to provide a distance X from a peripheral edge of the magnetic sensor 31 to the electrode pads 32 so that chipping Y occurring during the dicing does not influence the electrode pads 32. If the distance X from the peripheral edge of the magnetic sensor 31 to the electrode pads 32 is provided, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance between a wire 34, formed on a substrate 33, and the electrode pads 32, provided at the magnetic sensor 31, is increased. As a result, it is necessary to increase the outside diameter of bumps 36 that electrically connect the wire 34 and the electrode pads 32 to each other. If the outside diameter of the bumps 36 is increased, it is necessary to increase the pitch between the electrode pads 32 for preventing short-circuiting between the bumps 36. This results in the problem that a magnetic sensor module cannot be reduced in size.